Expectations for the 2018 Seahawks were not high. Here’s what a quick search of preseason predictions brings up:

Out of a panel of 21 voters for NFL.com, only one (shouts to Gregg Rosenthal) picked the Seahawks to make the playoffs

Sports Illustrated picked Seattle to go 7-9 and miss the playoffs

Sporting News picked Seattle to go 7-9 and miss the playoffs

Bleacher Report picked Seattle to go 6-10 and miss the playoffs

USA Today picked Seattle to go 4-12 (!) and miss the playoffs

Of the four of us covering the Seahawks for The Athletic, only Mike Dugar picked the Seahawks to have a winning record

And it wasn’t just national media members who were down on the Seahawks. Over the offseason, I discussed why analytical sites such as Football Outsiders and Pro Football Focus had win projections that landed in the ballpark of eight wins (full disclosure: my preseason prediction was 8-8).